Not me. Alexa at Flotsam. She has been at the Life/Health of the Mother crossroads, and her post makes some points that I have not heard loudly enough before.

After the last debate, I chose to write about the tax policies and Joe/Sam the (Unlicensed) Plumber, partly because I wrote enough about Roe v. Wade in college to last me a little while yet. And partly because the issue of reproductive choice is so personal, so tied to religious faith and upbringing, that I am not confident that my somewhat muted voice (at the moment) will be the one that changes a vote.

In short, what you believe about when life begins ain’t none of my business, until you expect that belief, that subjective and emotional belief, to govern me.

But I will say what I posted on Facebook during the last debate, which is that no one — NO ONE. EVER. — is pro-abortion. The argument is muddy enough with the sides labeled “pro-life”/pro-choice. There’s no such thing as pro-abortion. If you think there’s a faction out there going “W00T! Another trip to Planned Parenthood!” I would ask if you have ever been there, or known someone who has.

I know women who’ve had more than one abortion…more than two. They are not pro-abortion. They remember well the anguish before, during, and after, and they do not make light of the choice they made…nor do they make light of the choice other women face in the same position, for whatever reason. They chose their lives, for better or worse. And they judge themselves far more harshly than the staunchest “pro-life” advocate.

Far more harshly, as well, than the Christian God does. From that perspective, I find it more likely that post-abortive women will be forgiven, if such is their desire, than the people who continue to judge them. In short, if you believe that God will punish those who abort their unborn children, then let God take care of it. Legislate the procedure as you would any other surgery, and let God sort the abortions from the appendectomies. Judgment is his business, not yours.